Customer Reviews

Treasure of the Golden Cheetah: A Jade del Cameron Mystery

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I absolutely LOVE this captivating mystery series!! "Treasure of the Golden Cheetah" is the fifth installment chronicling the exciting adventures of photojournalist Jade del Cameron in 1920's colonial East Africa. As the story begins, a Hollywood movie crew has assembled in Nairobi, Kenya. Jade has been hired to help escort the crew up Mount Kilimanjaro to begin filming the dramatization of an ancient tale, in which King Solomon's son, Menelik, has been buried on the mountain with his father's treasure. Her job is to supervise the troupe's actresses and keep them safe. Even before the group embarks, the film's producer is stabbed to death in a murder-suicide. The expedition is soon marked by sabotage, danger and intrigue. Jade unravels the mystery with the help of her pet Cheetah and a native friend. A surprize ending leaves me eagerly looking forward to the next book in this series. Ms. Arruda has brilliantly crafted a suspenseful plot and compelling characters that kept me enthralled until the very last page. The storyline is masterfully interwoven with fascinating African folklore and traditions. Her vivid descriptions and lush imagery paint an exquisite picture of the scenic beauty of the Kenyan countryside. I truly loved this entertaining book and I very highly recommend it!

Normally, I am a fond fan of Suzanne Arruda's Jade Del Cameron mystery series, but I felt this fifth episode was not as up to par as the previous four books. The plot for this story of the Treasure of the Golden Cheetah was a bit on the sappy side and at times very melodramatic almost to the point of it being slightly unbearable.

Jade once again signs herself up for another dangerous adventure while accompanying her not so favorite man Harry Hascombe on a safari up to Mount Kilamanjaro with a movie crew who is filming an adventure motion picture about an African legend involving the treasure of King Menalik, the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Harry asks Jade to be his second on this guided trip as he has many female actresses to baby-sit along with the guys of the film crew. Before the journey begins there is a murder, and once the hike up the mountain begins, two other murders and much mysterious mischief occurs. Poisoned snakes, stray bullets, mystical cheetahs, missing belongings and two men battling to win Jade's love have her once more playing Africa's favorite female detective. There is the usual abundance of action, the entire cast of regular characters making their appearance, and the reader does get the flavor of fun, humor, and the atmosphere of the African wilderness complete with lots of animals and the historic feel of the Nairobi area in the 1920s. Suzanne Arruda does a fabulous job of keeping the authenticity of Colonial Africa, and maintaining the interesting history, culture, and legends of the African native people.

The ongoing dilemma of Jade and her American boyfriend Sam Featherstone was another tidbit I was frustrated with. Jade's inability to make up her mind and get this love affair off the ground is getting old. My feeling is that the author needs to wrap up this loose end and move on to adding other intriguing elements of variety to the series if her plan is to continue writing more installments. One thing that I did enjoy more in this book was the additional appearance of Jade's pet cheetah, Biscuit. We all love the animals in this series and Biscuit's part is always an endearing one. To have him take a priority role for this story was a small joy. I feel that the previous four plots were more real and exciting and that this movie crew on location story was just too lame with whining characters that got tiresome quickly. This not so hot episode has certainly not turned me away from the series, I'm positive that the author will come back next year with another more likeable story for me. This may have been a case of just personal taste on a premise that didn't click with me, others might not agree and give it more stars.

In her fifth adventure, Jade del Cameron is still debating whether or not to accept the marriage proposal of American pilot, Sam Featherstone, when she lands a job as a safari guide. Both Sam and Jade are upset when they learn Jade's old acquaintance, Harry Hascombe, is leading the safari, but Jade refuses to back out, needing both the money and a paid trip to Kilimanjaro so she'll have material for magazine articles. Jade is surprised, but not upset, when her young friend Jelani stows away on the safari with her pet cheetah, Biscuit. She needs a friendly face in between skirmishes among the Hollywood actors on the safari and Harry's inappropriate comments. Jelani fears for Jade's life, especially after the movie's producer is murdered by a crazed native who turns a knife on himself. Someone needs to keep Jade safe from a murderer.

As their party treks up the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, more drama plays out among the movie actors than what goes on in front of the cameras. Their trip is also plagued by sabotage, and, when she intervenes in a catfight between native women, Jade is followed by a dangerous curse. Death is stalking their party, and while Jade untangles the murderous intrigue among the Hollywood safari-goers, Jelani makes it a full-time job to watch over her. Meanwhile, Sam learns some disturbing information about one of the safari party, and he tries desperately to reach Jade with a warning before it's too late.

Though there still has been no resolution of the relationship between Jade and Sam, there was some ink devoted to their thoughts on the matter. Jade has feelings for Sam, but fears being tied down as a wife and mother, while Sam admires her strength and courage but fears constantly for her safety. I confess I found their dithering on the subject distracting. Either Jade will marry Sam and continue her adventures with him, or she won't. I'm getting tired of waiting for the decision. The series would be all the better for developing their relationship and making Sam a permanent fixture, and I can imagine many intriguing plot lines that could be followed in this way. It is a tired cliché that adventure heroes must go solo, and since Sam was introduced a few books ago, one I hope this series will not adopt. That said, this is one of my favorite mystery series with an excellent locale and great characters. The mysteries are an intriguing combination of old-fashioned sleuthing mixed with African lore. The last two books suffered slightly with Jade and Sam's dithering, but it's a hump I hop the series will soon be over, and I impatiently await Jade's next mystery.

If Jade del Cameron were a guy, most people in the Africa of the 1920's would think she was a little foolhardy, took a few too many risks, but wouldn't really be fazed by her actions. Because she is definitely a woman, a woman who thinks she knows what she wants and goes after it, the man in her life has some problems accepting her behaviors. This causes some problems.

Jade, in this adventure, in on a safari to Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanganyika. She's riding herd on three actresses and the woman serving as their maid; the safari is for the purpose of shooting an action/romance film loosely based on something along the lines of King Solomon's Mines. There are the usual tensions one might expect among actresses, and the director seems to be taking the script a little more seriously than perhaps he should.

Jade finds herself, and others, in danger. Arruda seems a bit more entranced with the mythical in GOLDEN CHEETAH than in previous novels, but it isn't out of character. The setting is glorious. One wonders what can happen to Jade after this.

Once again Suzanne Arruda kept me up late with the adventures of Jade del Cameron. Her stories are fun, with enough historical details and African adventure to be satisfying. Can't wait for #6!

She is known as the lioness Simba Jikefor her courage, honesty, strength and ability to get out of tough situations. Photojournalist Jade Del Cameron likes Africa and constantly risks her life for a story. In 1920 she is part of a safari that is heading towards Mt. Kilimanjaro with actors filming a movie on the treasures left by King Solomon's son Melinek.

While she is doing a feature on the Hollywood group, she also considers Sam Featherstone's marriage proposal. Jade loves Sam, but fears marriage will confine her as she knows he will want to keep her safe while she is a risk taker needing her freedom. The trek proves dangerous with people dying starting with the producer. The deaths initially look like tragic accidents until Jade finally concludes there is a predator amongst the safari. Doing her job, Jade knows she is caught in a precarious situation, but with her friend Jelani the healer and her pal Biscuit the cheetah, Jade vows to end the serial killing spree.

1920 Africa as always owns this fascinating amateur sleuth tale starring a brave heroine who marches to her own drummer. Jade is independent and tough but is also tender and caring. With a nod to Hemingway, the whodunit is fun, but the TREASURE OF THE GOLDEN CHEETAH is as much a great historical as it is a mystery.

Harriet Klausner

First Line: The woman astride the poppy red Indian Power Plus motorcycle would have been considered beautiful in many cultures.

When I saw that there was a new Jade del Cameron mystery out, I knew I was running behind. Sure enough, there was Treasure of the Golden Cheetah sitting on my shelves staring balefully out at me. Although I do try to keep one unsampled volume of favorite mystery series on hand, I don't want to get too far behind the story. Off the shelf came the book, and I began to read.

It's Kenya in 1920, and Jade finds herself hired on as second-in-command on a safari run by Harry Hascombe. Hascombe has agreed to take a Hollywood film crew to Mt. Kilimanjaro to make a movie based on an ancient legend of King Solomon's lost treasure. Before they even have a chance to leave Nairobi, the producer is stabbed to death by a native who then commits suicide. This death throws a pall over the entire expedition which, once it begins to climb Kilimanjaro's slopes, is beset by deadly hoaxes and serious accidents. Before this is all over, Jade will be glad that she's accompanied by the young healer Jelani and her pet cheetah, Biscuit.

At one time I referred to these books as a guilty pleasure and my "Saturday Matinee Reading". It is past time for me to say that they have involved into much more than that. Jade-- although still talented, beautiful and headstrong-- no longer behaves as though she's ten feet tall and bulletproof. Arruda has done an excellent job in researching the area and the era. (For example, this book had the added bonus of showing us what train travel was like in the Africa of 1920.) The character of the young Kikuyu, Jelani, not only gives us a look at native life and customs but allows us to see how natives were treated by the white people who ruled the roost.

I enjoy the early motorcycles and airplanes, and being on safari with a Hollywood crew of actors and technicians was in turn funny and exasperating, as Jade discovered: "Sweet Millard Fillmore. Can't these people be left alone for more than five minutes without someone having a hissy fit?"

An added, enjoyable, plot thread is the relationship between Jade and pilot/ filmmaker Sam Featherstone. Both of them are a bit too stubborn for their own good. Neither of them want to live alone. They love each other. But Sam won't think outside the box and Jade refuses to even look inside the box as far as making that final commitment to each other.

This entire series has been a fascinating journey, and I can't wait for it to continue in the next book, The Crocodile's Last Embrace.

The Treasure of the Golden Cheetah by Suzanne Arruda is the fifth book in the Jade del Cameron series about a female photographer in post-WWI Africa. Jade has never been afraid to live outside of people's expectations of her, which is what makes her such a fascinating character, but in this volume, it endangers her relationship with SamFeatherstone. Jade has been hired to accompany safari leader Harry Hascombe as he leads a crew from Hollywood up Mount Kilimanjaro to shoot footage for an upcoming movie. The trip quickly takes a tragic turn when the producer is murdered the night before their departure. Despite the tragedy, Harry and Jade take their crew up the mountain facing one crisis after another. Meanwhile, back at home, Sam takes a closer look at the murder and discovers some suspicious evidence. While he digs deeper, Jade is warned by an African wise man that she is in danger. Her trip up the mountain becomes a struggle of life and death and just when she thinks she's figured out who is behind the deception, someone else drops dead. I'm a huge fan of historical mystery series, especially those set in this period.Arruda is getting Jade back on track again after the derailing of book three and blah plot of book four. Golden Cheetah recreates chemistry between Jade and Harry while looking deeply into the relationship between Jade and Sam. It also gives Jade the opportunity to act like the intelligent headstrong heroine of the first two books. The fast paced action zips along until the murderer is revealed. I didn't feel that the motive was strong enough for all of the damage done, and it felt a bit out of left field. Aside from that,Arruda adds more mystery to the Jade mythos and sets up a great deal of interest for the next book with her ending.